Plus he had work, obviously, so he might not be able to make it until much later...

Emerald quickly strode over to the door, opening it just in time for a familiar weight to land atop his head, accompanied by a familiar screech from his favourite, and only, little lemon fruit bat. Emerald chuckled lightly,

"Well, Bolero seems happy," he remarked, glancing down from the little bat to the equally yellow pegasus in front of him, "I hope he wasn't too much trouble," he added. Fluttershy simply smiled and shook her head,

"Oh no, not at all!" she insisted, "He was wonderful, and such a little helper as well," she said, smiling up at the little bat. Emerald smirked, raising an eyebrow as he did so,

"'Helpful', eh?" he asked, glancing upwards, "You sure you had the right bat? Bolero's a little troublemaker most of the time... although, he has been better behaved since he came here," Emerald noted.

Maybe it was because Emerald actually allowed Bolero to go hunting in the Whitetail Woods here in Ponyville, something he'd never been allowed to do in Canterlot.

Emerald dropped his gaze back to Fluttershy, but a slight flicker of movement behind her caught his attention.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" he asked, looking past her, "Are you aware the Crusaders are right behind you?"

Indeed they were. Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo were all sitting perhaps ten feet away from the two of them, fidgeting in place, each of them wearing a patchy red cape with a blue and yellow crest on the sides, and...

Where in the name of Tartarus did those three get golden silk? Emerald knew from experience how difficult that stuff was to make, so how in the...

Rarity. She was, without a doubt a pony who wouldn't mind going through the process of making it, which was a bitch to do. But given those fillies' pension for destruction, what could have possibly made her think it was a good idea to give them something so precious?

"Oh?" Fluttershy turned her head to glance at the Crusaders, who gave her a sheepish wave, before she looked back at him, "Yes, I know," she said, smiling gently, "Rarity has to make twenty robes to send to Trottingham by tomorrow, but because she'd out of gold silk and has to make more, she can't supervise the girls' sleepover, so I volunteered," she explained, that smiling not leaving her face. Emerald blinked,

"... Shy, I know you're good with animals, but are you sure you can handle three fillies?... Especially those three fillies?" he asked. Fluttershy simply nodded,

"Of course. How different could it be from looking after my animals?" she asked, "I'm sure I'll be fine, they're only fillies, after all," she added, before she brightened, as if an idea had come to her, "Oh! Do you think Wisp would like to come along?" she asked excitedly,

"Wisp?" Emerald asked, surprised, "I mean, I suppose she wouldn't mind," he said, "... And I don't think she's made any friends since coming here... that I know of, at least," he added under his breath, before glancing back up, "I... I'll have to ask, but I'm sure she'll come along."

"Speak of the devil," he muttered, turning around, finding his little sister sleepily trotting towards the kitchen counter, missing her glasses, her mane sticking up and out, and her coat looking just a bit unkempt. He chuckled, catching her attention,

But what else could he do? He'd been putting off visiting Zecora and the twins since he learned they were in town. He had little idea how they'd react to him suddenly showing up out of nowhere.

Really, at this point he was contemplating avoiding them, and just letting the confrontation happen naturally, even if it meant he'd have little control over the whole thing.

And he couldn't just keep justifying putting it off with random shit either. He could only take so many showers, cook so many meals, work so many hours, before a truly free moment came along, leaving him with nothing to put it off with.

"Are you okay, Emerald?" he twitched slightly at the voice, but sighed and turned to face the pink mare, who had stuck her head though the kitchen window,

"Yeah... just wondering how to go about a situation that I put myself into," he muttered, "It's nothing too special though, so I'll be fine," he added, noticing the interested/worried look Pinkie sent him.

"Really?" she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, "Are you suuuurrrre?" Emerald rolled his eyes, but smirked,

True to his thoughts, his lunch break came around, leaving him with nothing to do other than go and visit his old friends.

Of course, he wasn't making it easy for himself, oh no. His mind was running a mile a second, trying, and currently failing, to find something to fill the time with.

-commit all of his attention to the purple mare running up to him. Yep, all of it.

"Sparky?" he asked, raising his head from the table he'd been laying it on, "Somethin' ya need?" he added once she came to a stop in front of him. Sparky took a moment to catch her breath, before straightening herself out, and spoke,

"Well," she began, her eyes twinkling already, "I was just thinking, we didn't get to ask a lot of questions when you told us about-" she went quiet and looked around, as if worried that somebody would overhear, despite there being nobody else for several dozen feet, "your species," she whispered, before her volume rose back up, "and now I have so many!" she gushed, smiling brightly, even as she practically vibrated on the spot, "I was hoping that maybe you had some time to spare so we can head over to the library for some questions, and, maybe, one or two tests?" she asked.

Her folded ears, small smile, and tilted head spoke volumes about her lack of confidence in asking, but her studious nature seemed to drive most of it out the window, right up until she asked the question itself.

Normally Emerald would think for a minute or so, debating on whether or not allowing himself to fall to the clutches of the little bookworm in front of him was a good idea or not.

As it was, this wasn't a normal situation, not with the procrastinating stallion he'd momentarily turned into.

"I'll start brewing some tea," Sparky announced as the door shut behind him, "Oh this is gonna be so much fun!"

He sighed, planting himself on the nearby couch. He didn't know how long this would take, but hopefully it would fill up his break.

He could hear Sparky moving around in the kitchen, and a quick scan revealed that they were the only ones in the library, meaning the hatchling was out doing... whatever.

"Okay!" Sparky chirped, walking back into the room, a notepad, quill, and inkwell floating next to her, "Let's get started!" she added, plopping down onto the couch next to him.

"You were able to breathe fire when you, uh... went against the hydra, how?" Emerald shrugged,

"The same way a dragon can breathe fire, Sparky. I'm sure you'd know that, right?" he asked.

Twilight blinked, but nodded, only to stop and start shaking her head a moment after.

She... honestly didn't know how Spike breathed fire. Of course, she assumed that it was either some kind of dragon based magic, or even some organ that only dragons had. Even so, she wasn't about to start... experimenting on him, or anything. And she doubted he knew the answer either.

A pit of excitement started building in her stomach. Oh, she knew that asking Emerald these questions would turn out to be a good idea! Her friends had tried convincing her to let him talk about it on his own, but that would waste so much valuable information that could further relations between ponies and bat-po- thestrals!

So engrossed in her thoughts of academic pursuits, Twilight hadn't taken notice of the flat look Emerald was sending her.

"I have a flame sac," he deadpanned, "My body produces a flammable liquid that's stored in my flame sac," he explained, before shrugging, "It's not complicated."

But a flame sac? Where was it? What chemical did his body produce? How did his body produce that chemical? Did he have to maintain a specific diet to promote his body into producing more of it? Did he ever burn his throat when breathing fire?

Evidently her excitement was visible, if the look of amusement on Emerald's face was anything to go by.

"Where do ba-thestrals come from?" she asked, correcting herself once more, she'd have to get the word to stick to avoid insulting him, "I mean, thestrals seem to be a hybrid species of dragon and pony, so when was the first thestr-"

"I'm gonna cut you off there, Sparky," Emerald snarled, his venomous tone startling the lavender mare, "I'm not a hybrid," he stated vehemently, a low rumble emitting from his throat, "Thestrals are their own species, completely separate from ponies. If you even imply that one more time, I swear-" he cut himself off, breathing out heavily, before redirecting his gaze back to her, his frigid blues nearly freezing her in place, "Next question," he demanded.

"S-sure," she muttered, and flipped the page of her notepad, "Um... where do thestrals live? I've never come across any mention of them in any book I've read, other than vampony legends, of course," she said, muttering that last part. Emerald relaxed slightly,

"Well, we're from up in the Frozen North," he said simply, "I was born up in a... village of sorts called Nocturne, up in the Tramplevanian Mountain Range."

"Really?!" Twilight asked, leaning forward excitedly, "What's it like there?!" Emerald winced slightly, but she didn't notice,

"I... don't remember much, aside from stuff my Father practically drilled into mine and my sibling's heads," he admitted, choosing each word carefully, "I do remember that Nocturne is divided into eight sections, one for each of the seven mountains surrounding it, with one directly in the center. Two residential districts, the commercial district, the training district, two agricultural districts, the artisan district, and the Gathering House in the center."

"Yes. There aren't many thestrals to be honest. Only several hundred," he said, causing Twilight's eyes to go wide, "Birth rates... aren't exactly high, you see, and infant mortality rates aren't really low, either. Most thestral families are lucky to have one foal, let alone three like mine did," he admitted, before shaking his head, "Anyways, there are a total of ten clans in Nocturne, and the heads of each clan meet up in the Gathering House to discuss pretty much everything. The hunting routes, trade, the market, everything. It's also used for gathering the thestrals together during holidays, thus its name."

"Well... there's the Royals, the Winters, the Tides, the Days, the Midnights, the Skies, the Tamers, the Runners, the Arias, and the Hammers."

"See, originally, when Nocturne was founded, the leaders thought it would be best if the duties were mixed up between groups, to make things more efficient. So they made the clans to decide who would end up doing what. Originally, the Hammers were the construction workers, the Winters were the farmers, the Tamers the healers, Arias the entertainers, the Days and Midnights the hunters, the Royals the teachers, the Runners the artisans, and the Skies and Tides the warriors. Over time the barriers between the clans started to fade, and, nowadays anyone can be anything," he said, "A Tame could fight, a Skies could hunt, a Royal could build, a Midnight could teach, and so on."

"That's... amazing," Twilight said, smiling, even as her quill furiously scribbled against the pad. Emerald shrugged,

"It's nice, but it's no Equestria," he said, before frowning, "Even with all the flaws of its inhabitants, Equestria is a wonderful place," Emerald breathed, his eyes filled with wonder just thinking about it, "It's better than Nocturne in so many ways, but worse in others," Twilight blinked, her quill coming to a halt for a moment,

"The diversity isn't ideal," Emerald explained, as if it was as obvious as the sky being blue, "Since the thestral population is so low, we need to branch out to other species to ensure that we survive. So even though Nocturne is thestrali land, you're likely to see just as many griffons, yaks, zebras, and even dragons walking amongst us as thestrals, than here in Equestria," he frowned, "I've been all over Equestria. I know it like I know the back of my wing, and I've never seen any town that has a significant population of non-ponies," he said, then paused, "Actually, Salt Lick City and Trottingham are pretty diverse, but that's only because one's a port city and the other is near the Griffon Kingdom."

Twilight frowned slightly, but she didn't say anything. Part of her wanted to argue with him, say that Equestria was a wonderful where every species could, and did, come to.

But the memories came flooding back. Of the town's reaction to Zecora. Of her life back in Canterlot, where unicorns were the majority, and had a tendency to look down on other races, even earth ponies and pegasi.

Emerald withheld a sigh as he watched Sparky look through the notes she'd written.

Evidently, she didn't like his opinion of Equestria's lack of diversity, but didn't have enough evidence to back up her own thoughts.

A sharp whistling interrupted his thoughts, the sound coming from farther into the house.

"Oh! The water's ready!" Sparky chirped, setting down the pad and quill. She jumped to her hooves and trotted off to the kitchen, leaving Emerald behind to wait.

He leaned back in his seat, eyes lazily roaming the room, before landing, once again, on that damned notepad of hers.

Sixteen years had passed since he'd last seen his home. Since he'd seen his mother and sister, as well as his father and brother. Even if he didn't necessarily miss those last two, the fact remained.

He hadn't seen his family in so long. He could scarcely remember what they looked like, in fact.

He tried to recall the image of the thestral he knew best, his dear mother, but all he could summon were colours and blurred shapes, with nothing but the ghost of a voice, singing him a soothing lullaby coming to him.

And yet, despite those hazy memories, despite the knowledge that he'd likely not see them again, he was not sad.

That fuzzy image faded away. His mother was gone to him, a stranger in familiar colours. She could no longer care after him, and was no longer a part of his life.

Another image began taking shape the more he thought of a mother he no longer had.

A brilliant white, shining with a nearly divine radiance. Blue, green, and pink swirling around it, gently caressing the almost-familiar image. Glinting golden light winked through at times, like a beacon in the dark, fuzzy image.

Despite this, he could clearly see a pair of magenta eyes peering through at him, as if waiting, watching him.

The image vanished, lost in the rush of adrenaline as the thestral leapt from his position, already halfway to the source of the scream.

"Sparky!" he called, barreling into the kitchen, eyes scanning the room, searching for any sign of danger, only to stop once he spotted the mare in question.

Rather, she was staring despondently into a small, empty jar, labeled 'Tea Bags'.

"But that was my favourite tea...." she muttered, "and I know I still had enough left for a few ponies... at least I did last night..." she added.

"Weren't you drinking tea when I came by with your delivery yesterday?" Emerald deadpanned. Sparky blinked, then looked up at him,

"Right, I was, wasn't I?" she muttered, staring at him. Her eyes locked with his for a moment, and she frowned,

"Your eyes... they're... strange," she remarked, setting the jar down as she moved closer to him. It was Emerald's turn to frown,

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, not quite sure if he should feel offended,

"It's just..." she trailed off as her eyes fell, until they landed on his bracelet, "... I think it has something to do with your disguise," she said, looking back up at him, "Ever since we first met, I've noticed that your eyes are kind of... dull. Like you're never really focusing on anything, they're just... dark. But once you took your disguise off last week, suddenly, there was just so much light in them!" she gushed, staring into his, apparently dull, eyes, "I... suppose it makes sense. Most spells that hide appearance are aesthetic, and generally for short periods of time. Even then, most of them are just for mane or coat colour. I've never seen one for eye colour... I guess I can understand why if this is the result," she said, muttering that last part to herself.

"Riiiight..." Emerald replied, not entirely feeling comfortable with the sudden turn of topic, "Anyways, my lunch break should be just about over so-"

"No!" Sparky snapped suddenly, stunning Emerald, her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed once she realized what she'd done, "I mean-! I need your help to get more!" she stuttered.

"Well, uh- Zecora!" she said, causing Emerald to blink, "Zecora makes the tea I like. Apparently it's Zebrican, and since it's super expensive to order it, she offered to make it for me at a lower price," she explained, her magic already lighting up, the faint sound of jingling bits ringing from upstairs, "But since she lives in the Everfree, I usually ask Fluttershy if she could come along to help with any of the animals, but..." she trailed off, thinking, before huffing, "I know she's doing something today, but I can't remember what...."

"She's foalsitting Wisp and the Crusaders," Emerald replied easily. Sparky nodded,

He could refuse. After all, he wasn't exactly keen on visiting Zecora, especially so soon after he'd decided he'd put it off.

He couldn't just let Sparky head into the Everfree on her own. That would be idiotic. By going, he could make sure she was safe, and get the visit over and done with. Plus he could even pop by Fluttershy's on the way home and check up on Wisp to see if she was okay.

As responsible as he knew Fluttershy was, he also knew the Crusader's would be a hoofful, and, as a result, take up most of her attention with just reigning them in, nevermind her having enough left over to look after a fourth filly, especially one who was very well behaved and somewhat independent.

Unlike the rest of Equestria, the Everfree was dark, foreboding and, as it name stated, completely and utterly free from their control.

Plants grew on their own, the weather controlled itself, the animals followed a different lifestyle than what the Equestrians expected of them.

All in all, it reminded Emerald greatly of home. As well as the rest of the planet.

He could never understand why ponies would fear such a natural place. If anything, they were the strange ones, forcing the world to follow their own ideals.

Equestria was the only place in the world that actively controlled their own weather and the growth of their crops, and it was all due to their unusual magic. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of theories these ponies created regarding the Everfree's existence, as well as its continued refusal to allow them control over it.

Some claimed that it was created by the malicious entity Discord, as a way to continue his reign of terror, even so long after being imprisoned in stone.

Others believed that some spirit resided within the forest, one older than Equestrian society, and one that especially didn't take to their penchant for controlling every little thing.

Personally, Emerald just thought that it was Mother Nature's way of telling them to fuck off.

There were three other places in the world like the Everfree. Places where nature acted differently than the world beyond its borders.

He'd only ever been to one of them before, with the Everfree being his second, but it had left him in awe.

The Everfree Forest. The Everdark Sea. The Everfall Cavern. The Everlost Mountain.

He'd been to the Everfall Cavern. It was a beautiful place, hidden deep within the Amarezon Jungle. Glorious deposits of a strange glowing material, which was practically invulnerable to outside force, grew along the walls and ceiling, giving it the appearance of perpetual dusk. Wonderful stretches of water flowing all around, leading downwards where a whole new ecosystem thrived beneath the surface.

"Well?" Emerald asked, glancing at the nervous mare to his side, "Lead the way,"

He simply watched for a moment as her purple form disappeared beyond the trees, the light failing to penetrate farther than a few feet into the forest. He nodded to himself, and followed after her.

Dark brown, nearly black, trunks reached upwards, their expansive branches might have left enough room for some light to filter through, but the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of leaves kept the light out almost completely. Only the rare shaft of light managed to sneak through the canopy, and even then, it only lit up their surroundings enough to see, perhaps, a foot in front of their faces.

And even then, it didn't help much, considering just how thick the foliage was. Wild flowers and bushes grew sporadically, their thick weeds spilling out onto the lone trail they walked on.

Even within this, seemingly infinite, forest, it was not silent. She could hear the faint call of birds, chirping merrily as they flew through the trees. The soft thumping of small paws as various rodents scurried through the undergrowth. Even the occasional growling of a predator reached her ears, though it was thankfully too far away for it to be aimed at them.

Yes, the Everfree Forest was terrifying, no matter how many times she had to come through. The only thing that had mitigated her fear, so far, were her friends.

She had Emerald with her, so... she knew she'd be okay. She trusted her friends to help keep her safe, just as they trusted her, so...

She hadn't known him as long as the other girls, six months less, in fact, but she did trust him, even more so now that she knew his secret.

She frowned, but it was wiped away when she felt Emerald's coat brush against hers. Immediately her face started burning, and she was certain her heart rate had started to pick up, but she did her best to ignore it, choosing instead to focus on the feeling of their coats rubbing against each other.

Her hoof caught on something, nearly sending her tumbling down, if it weren't for Emerald's quick reaction. His hoof snaked around her barrel, catching her just before her face smacked against the forest floor.

"Careful, Sparky. You never know when you'll end up getting pitched off a cliff if you don't pay attention to where you're walking," the thestral lightly remarked from right by her ear, his breath gently tickling said appendage, causing it to twitch.

Twilight fidgeted slightly once she was back on all fours hooves, steadfastly ignoring her reddening face,

"Come on!" she said, ignoring the way her voice squeaked, "Zecora's isn't too much farther!" she added, before breaking into a mild jog, likely hoping to escape her embarrassment quickly.

She heard Emerald laugh once more behind her, and it didn't take long for him to catch up to her, even beginning to overtake her. It was likely the knowledge that she was the only one between the two of them that knew where they were going that caused him to slow down slightly, returning the lead to her.

The duo soon arrived in a small clearing, where a small hut sat, dead in the center.

It stood at the same height as the other trees of the forest, however the signs of woodwork were clear to see. Multicoloured phials of unknown liquids were suspended from several branches that stuck out from the trunk. Given their slight glow, it was likely these were used to see the hut from within the darkness of the Everfree.

A set of windows had been carved into the trunk, a single wooden door sitting between them, fit with a set of carved stairs just below it. It could've belonged to anyone, or anything, but Emerald recognized the Zebrican masks that hung above the door and out on the 'lawn', not only as welcomings, but as belonging to his old friend.

"Okay!" Sparky chirped, her breathing heavier than it should've been, "We're here..." Emerald chuckled,

"You need to start exercising regularly, Sparky," he commented, "If a little run like that tired you out so much, imagine what would happen if you were getting chased by something much faster than a hydra,"

Throwing the memory aside, Sparky trotted up to the door, Emerald following behind her, and knocked.

A moment passed, in which the sound of hoofsteps slowly grew louder, before the door was opened, revealing the hut's sole occupant.

Zecora was a zebra with a gray coat littered with stripes of a much darker gray. Her salt and pepper mane was styled into a fine mohawk, and her tail wrapped up in a simple black wrapping. Her bright blue eyes shined with suppressed wisdom, framed lightly by several wrinkles, showing that age was beginning to catch up with her. Large golden hoop rings hung from her ears, with similar jewelry wrapped around her neck, signifying her skill in the arts of potion-making, Emerald knew. Altogether, Zecora seemed rather normal and nonthreatening, despite what Ponyville seemed to have thought of her.

"Ah, Twilight! What brings you to my home this night?" the lone zebra asked, her breathy tones giving her an air of mysteriousness that Emerald completely ignored.

"You're still rhyming?" he asked abruptly, cutting Sparky off before she could speak, catching their attention. Zecora blinked, staring at the familiar stallion, before her eyes lit up in recognition,

"Emerald, my green friend!" she smiled, before glancing back inside, "Come in, I have a brew to which I must tend," she said, waving them both inside.

The inside of Zecora's home was about as much as Emerald would've expected from his potion-making friend. The tree had clearly been divided into several sections, with the front door leading into what was obviously her brewing room. Bottles of every shape, colour, and size rested on dozens of shelves that had been carved into the walls. A large cauldron rested in the center of the room, laying atop a group of logs that had been stuffed down into a hole in the floor, glowing with a soft light. Various candles rested throughout the room, providing the necessary light for any non-thestral.

Within the cauldron was a strange blue liquid, softly bubbling, producing a light glow as it did so.

Zecora moved back over to the potion, taking a moment to add some seeds to the mix, before turning back to him and Sparky,

"I must say, I did not expect a visit today. I don't mean to pry, but what brings you by?"

"W-well, Zecora, I ran out of tea recently, and I was hoping to maybe get some more..." Sparky muttered, sounding both guilty and embarrassed. Zecora nodded,

"Very well, though I must admit, I was not expecting you to visit. I'll need to make more. Emerald! Please, assist me with this chore," she rhymed, turning around and walking off through one of the doors. Emerald shook his head,

"I'll be minute," he said, glancing at Sparky, "Try not to cause any trouble," he said, smirking at her indignant protest. After that, he followed the zebra into another room, one that was completely filled to the brim with shelves full of various ingredients, as well as a small table with a mortar and pestle.

"Alright, what do you need me to do?" he asked, only to blink when Zecora simply shook her head,

"My friend, there is nothing to do, for I have already made the brew," she said, holding up a small jar, labeled "Tea". She gave him a mischievous smile, "I merely sought a way, to get you alone to talk of your stay," Emerald frowned,

"You're still doing that?" he asked, "Rhyming," he elaborated at her confused look. She smiled at him,

"Why, of course. There is little else to do. Why? Does it still annoy you?" she asked. He growled,

"Yes," he growled, before shaking his head, sparing a glance towards the door they came through, "Let's just speak in your tongue, alright? I'd rather not have Sparky out there eavesdrop on us," he said, swapping to her form of Zebreis, then shook his head when she nodded, "Why do you still rhyme when you speak Equestrian, anyways?" Zecora shrugged,

"I find that it challenges my knowledge of the language. I do not get to speak to many ponies out in this forest, so I must do something to keep my Equestrian sharp. I suppose it merely developed into a habit," she explained, then smiled, "Besides, it is rather amusing to watch others try to understand what I'm saying." Emerald sighed once again, only in a more irritated fashion this time.

"Tell me, how have you been?" Zecora asked, "I regret not keeping in contact with most of the others when the agency went down," she added morosely. Emerald shrugged,

"I've been working, mostly. Once S.M.I.L.E went down, Celestia kept me around, made me the Champion after a couple missions," he admitted, earning a wide-eyed stare from his zebra friend,

"Truly?" he nodded, causing her to laugh, "That's wonderful! It must be nice to be finally acknowledged for all the hard work you do, Emerald," she said, smiling, though it quickly at his disgruntled expression, "What is the matter?"

"It's kept secret, Zecora. No one knows about my position. Not even Spa-Twilight out there. Far as she's aware, I'm just a regular Royal Guard who's here to keep an eye on the Everfree."

"I see," she said, then glanced down at his bracelet, "I take it she's aware of your species?" she asked. He nodded,

"Yes, though not without a bit of a fight on my end," he said, then grumbled at her knowing smirk, "I didn't have a choice, alright?!" she merely laughed at him,

"I take it you've been residing within Ponyville for some time now, correct?" she asked, then continued at his uneasy nod, "Hmm.... then tell me, why have you not come to visit sooner?" she asked. Emerald twitched at her tone. It wasn't accusatory, like he'd expected. Faust, it wasn't even disappointed either. It was as though she had already figured out the answer, and was now just waiting for him to confirm her suspicions.

"No matter," she suddenly said, likely having taken his silence as an answer, "Let us return to dear Twilight. I dare say she must be getting suspicious, since I've never taken this long to prepare her tea," Zecora suggested, already walking out.

"I apologize for the delay," Zecora said as she walked out into the main room, where Sparky was waiting for them, "But worry not, for I enjoyed your extended stay," she said warmly. Sparky smiled levitating six bits from her bag over to to the older female.

"Think nothing of it, my dear. Having a friend come by is something I hold very close to here," she remarked, gently holding a hoof to her heart,

"I know," Sparky began, "But I can't help but feel like I'm just using you sometimes. It... makes me feel a little guilty," she added, her expression falling. Zecora's sudden, but light, laughter, caused her to look up, confused.

"Things are not that bleak," Zecora gently admonished, "If you are using me, be assured that I will speak," she said, before a sudden howl rang through the forest, causing her eyes to dart to the window, "You must go. The timberwolves grow hungry. I'd rather you run, and not be slow," she said, already beginning to push the two of them out the door.

He and Sparky were shoved through the door, landing back outside before he could say anything in return. He growled, but turned to the mare beside him.

Sparky nodded, sending a glance back at the hut, but she followed after the retreating stallion regardless.

The trek back through the forest was calmer than the first, despite Zecora's warning.

If Zecora's warning was necessary, and not her being paranoid, than that meant there was a reason for the timberwolves howling. Be it hunger like she said, or something else, he didn't know, and he was sure he didn't want to know.

Even so, he couldn't exactly alert Sparky to his growing paranoia without causing her to panic slightly. And even if she didn't panic, which he was sure she would, at the very least she'd pester him to move faster, and the noise she'd make while running could very well attract some predators to them.

Alone, the Everfree wasn't a threat to him. But with Sparky along for the ride, he'd have to split his attention constantly during a fight, which could end up getting one of them killed if he wasn't careful. Best to stay on the safe side, rather than risk it, he thought.

Right as he finished thinking that, a sudden rustling from the nearby bushes set them both on edge, even as their eyes locked onto the shaking bush.

No words were spoken for the seemingly endless instant in which they waited, cautiously awaiting whatever sort of monstrosity that lie before them.

That same tension, which had been building steadily, died a vicious death as the small white head of a chicken popped out of the bush.

Emerald and Sparky twitched at the sight of the seemingly harmless fowl, but a sudden memory caused Emerald to immediately avert his eyes, and he would've shouted at Sparky to do the same, when the chicken jumped out of the bush.

It landed squarely on its claws, pecking at the ground, completely unconcerned by the fact that its sudden movement had nearly caused the nearby thestral to roast it alive.

Be that as it may, Emerald was having a hard time not roasting it on principle.

"Damn bird," Emerald snarled, already walking past it, only to pause and turn when he realized Sparky wasn't following. In fact, she was staring at the chicken, "What's the hold up?"

"Sorry," she said, obviously distracted, "it's just... isn't this one of Fluttershy's hens?"

"Just because we're family doesn't mean I know what each and every one of her hens look like!"

"Why in the name of-!" Emerald cut himself off, his ear twitching as it caught the faint sound of movement just beyond the treeline around them.

Small, rapid steps, followed immediately by the sound of something dragging along the ground, likely a tail of some sort.

"Quiet," he answered immediately, then paused, his eyes trailing over to the chicken, before they narrowed, "... We need to go. Now," he said. He didn't wait for her response, instead choosing to grab her hoof and drag her along behind him as he hurried down the path,

"Don't look back, Sparky!" Emerald shouted, speeding up, being forced to let go of her in the process, "It's a cockatrice!" he added for her benefit, just in case she decided to look back anyways.

"What?!" she shouted from just behind him, even as the sound of her hooves against the ground came faster, signalling him that she had just sped up.

Emerald and Sparky ducked and weaved through the incoming trees and undergrowth, but the cockatrice behind them was just as fast, if not even faster, than they were. After all, this was its home.

And it would be damned if it let it's prey escape it, especially in its own territory.

Emerald risked a glance back, making sure his eyes wouldn't catch the damned lizard-bird's behind him.

The damn thing had the head of a chicken, the only thing truly able to discern the difference between the two being its malevolent red eyes. Its body was a greenish blue, covered in scales, and it extended back into a long tail, covered in red spines. Though it lacked arms, it made up for that with a pair of wings as wide as it was long, the joints tipped red. Its feet, like its head, were reminiscent of a chicken's, which was one of the reasons he'd been ready to kill the chicken from earlier.

Regardless, it looked pissed, and it was obviously very determined to catch up with them.

Emerald knew he could outrun the thing, if not outright out speed it, especially with all the trees eating up the cockatrice's stamina. Sparky, he knew, couldn't. Even if she had a completely free path, she simply wasn't fast enough. She might be able to outrun it, since ponies could run fairly long distances before they dropped, whereas cockatrices couldn't, but even if she could outrun it, it would easily out speed her, catch up, and kill her.

She might be able to use a spell to save herself, but he wasn't sure he'd trust her casting ability while under this kind of stress. A mob of ponies after them, sure, but a very real, very deadly creature chasing them? Hehe, no.

He growled slightly, tearing down a tree branch as he passed, hoping it'd stall the lizard-thing behind them for an extra second or two so he could think.

He knew he would need a plan. But, really, even though he was running through everything he knew about cockatrice's, he wasn't having much luck.

He didn't have any weasels to kill it, and he didn't have any roosters nearby either. Fluttershy might, but there was no way in Tartarus he was bringing this thing anywhere near her unless he was certain.

Well, at least it was a cockatrice and not a full-blooded basilisk. The gaze of a basilisk could kill, whereas the cockatrice's tended to only petrify, something that was much easier to cure than death. Not to mention its venom.

Petrification took some time for the cockatrice to pull off, due to its limited magical capacity. Unlike the basilisk, whose gaze could kill in an instant, it took the cockatrice about ten seconds or more to fully petrify anything.

"WHAT?!" Twilight screeched, looking at her green companion, internally debating on whether or not he was completely sane,

"You heard me," he snapped, "You'll keep running as fast as you can, while I step back and let the cockatrice petrify me," he repeated, seemingly exasperated by her, completely natural, concern for his mental health.

"No!" she shouted, "No! I'm not leaving you behind! And why would I ever agree to something like that?!"

"I wasn't asking for your permission," Twilight winced slightly at his harsh tone, which nearly caused her to trip, but relaxed when he sighed, "Listen, Twilight, I'm going to get petrified so you can get to safety," he said, causing her face to heat up, "You're just not fast enough to outrun the cockatrice like I am, and by letting myself get petrified, you'll have enough time to run. If you don't, you'll get petrified too. It's not abandoning me if you run away and come back with the cure when it's safe, now is it?" he reasoned.

Emerald suddenly coming to a stop, then bolting backwards towards their pursuer, gave her her only option.

You're just not fast enough.

From this point on, Twilight swore from the very bottom of her heart to be faster, more fit, so that if something like this ever happened again, Emerald wouldn't have to get hurt so she could be safe.

The only saving grace was little Wisp, who was extremely well-behaved. Though, she might be a bit too well-behaved, since she really didn't try playing around with the other three fillies. She seemed to prefer helping her out with her animals whilst she was busy trying, and somewhat failing, to reign in the excitable Crusaders.

Thankfully, the sun was setting, so it wouldn't be too much longer before she could send them all to bed without feeling guilty about it.

"Girls," she called, using her loudest voice, though she doubted it was much more than a whisper, regardless, it was enough to make the three fillies pause their activity, which involved messing around with her table and a few hammers, "would you like to play a game?" she asked.

"A game?" Applebloom asked, already looking skeptical, though Fluttershy wasn't sure the reason, "What kinda game?"

Fluttershy smiled at her curiosity, seeing as how it was enough to get the other two interested as well, though she noticed Wisp, who was already sitting on the only chair, looked bored. She gently steered the fillies over to the couch, where they happily hopped into position.

"'Shhh!'?" Wisp asked, raising an eyebrow, a gesture Fluttershy couldn't help but imagine Emerald using.

"Well, it a game about who can stay quiet the longest!" Fluttershy said excitedly, before calming herself, "I'm the world champ, you know?" she bragged humbly, though something about what she said caused Wisp to snicker, "I bet you can't beat me," she challenged, inwardly hoping that at least Scootaloo would've had enough pride to jump at the challenge.

"Well, for starters, you're expecting those three to listen to you, like your animals do," Wisp suddenly said, startling the shy mare.

"It's fine. Emerald used to do it too, sometimes," she said, hopping over onto the couch, where she could face Fluttershy better, "I think it's a thestral thing," she added, smiling. Fluttershy giggled at that.

"Maybe," she admitted lightly, before frowning, "But what did you mean?" she asked. Wisp blinked at her, seemingly confused for a moment, before her eyes lit up,

"Oh, well... Emerald mentioned that you thought looking after us would be just like your animals," she began, before looking to the side, "So Emerald asked me to help you out, since he was afraid something bad would happen with the Crusaders," she said, before shaking her head, "Anyways, I mean... well, your special talent is working with animals, so... you have a lot of experience getting them to listen to you. Like... being quiet and gentle is a good way to get them to trust and listen to you, right?" she asked, Fluttershy nodded, "Well... we're not your animals. I mean... you've seen how Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Emerald treat us, right?" she asked, she nodded again, "Well... that's because that's how it works. We need a firm hoof and a stern attitude sometimes to keep us in line, you know?" she asked, her cheeks turning a faint red after a moment.

Fluttershy stared at the little unicorn for a few moments, before sighing, though she smiled regardless,

"I guess that's true..." she admitted, before glancing at Wisp, a new, appreciative look in her eye, "You're awfully mature for a filly your age," she noted, though it might've come out as a question. Wisp frowned and looked out the window, as if she didn't want to meet Fluttershy's gaze.

"... Didn't Emerald tell you all about the Facility?" Fluttershy frowned, racking her brain, before shaking her head,

"He didn't?" she asked, sounding surprised, "But... but he said he told you how he got his cutie mark!" she shouted, before turning a bright red and rapidly looking back out the window.

Yes, he'd told them all about how he got his mark, although he didn't really go into much detail of how he got where he was.

"Um... Cousin Shy?" her small voice broke her train of thought. Fluttershy returned her attention back to the blue filly, who was squinting her eyes as she gazed out the window, "Are those... a bunch of chicken tracks leading into the Everfree, or am I just really tired?"

Fluttershy blinked at the strange question, before the implication suddenly struck her. She practically jumped over to the window, pressing her hooves and nose against the glass in an effort to see better,

"What?!" she shouted in shock, even though it probably wasn't very loud, since Wisp didn't flinch from the volume. Fluttershy traced the path from the Everfree, hope dying with every print as she realized where it originated.

"No...." she breathed, before hopping away from the window and jogging out back.

She quickly pushed through her backdoor into her yard, then wasted no time in crossing the short distance between her home and the chicken coop, when she spotted it.

The small wire fence she kept around the coop, used mostly for keeping stray Everfree critters out, had a small, chicken sized gap between a post and the wire.

"B-but... how...?" she breathed, staring, stunned at the scene before her. It took her a second, but her brain suddenly rebooted, and she jumped over the fence, and rushed over to the coop, all but throwing the little door open and peering inside, immediately, searching for the empty nest.

She needn't have bothered. There was only one hen in her entire coop who ever wandered off.

"Elizabeak," she stated. She pulled her head out of her coop, ignoring the feathers that came with her. Her eyes trailed back over to the path that Elizabeak had made, and she managed to spot a small gap between some bushes at the treeline, where the tracks disappeared.

It was late, her friends were likely all asleep by now, so she couldn't just run on over to their houses and ask for their help.

Even that strange blue dome over town hadn't popped up yet, though it usually waited until about one in the morning when everybody was asleep, meaning that there was no one out that could help her.

Well... there were the Crusaders and Wisp, but Rarity, Applejack and Emerald would kill her if they ever found out she let them into the Everfree!

But even knowing that, it wasn't like she could just put Wisp in charge then head out on her own!

After all, Wisp was a very responsible filly, and Emerald had told her to help out around the house while the Crusaders were here...

She winced at the thought, but made up her mind regardless. She just hoped Emerald wouldn't be mad.

She marched back over to her cottage and trudged back inside, finding Wisp sitting where she'd left her, looking as though she hadn't bothered to move.

"No. One of my hens got loose and she's in the Everfree. I'm sure she's fine though, since she does it so often. But still, I can't help but worry," she muttered, before looking up, "Um, Wisp? I hope you don't mind, but I have to go and get her before she wanders too far, okay? So, um..." she trailed off, wow this was harder than she'd thought! "I'm putting you in charge, alright?"

Wisp blinked, then stiffened, her eyes going wide as she snapped her head in the direction the girls had wandered off to earlier,

"Me?!" she asked, looking back at her, "In charge of them?!" Fluttershy nodded,

"Wha-?! Bu-! Guh-... Fine," she muttered, crossing her hooves and pouting. Fluttershy actually had to fight a slight grin at the sight, but she managed to nod instead,

"Thank you," she said as she walked over to the front door, "Um... it's almost time for bed, so... could you...?"

Fluttershy took a deep breath once she reached the treeline, hoping to steel her nerves.

All you have to do is go save Elizabeak! Just walk right into the forest, there's no need to be afraid!

She swallowed a heavy lump in her throat, already beginning to regret her life choices, but she forced herself to take that first step-!

Only for something to come running straight out of the forest, crash heavily into her, and send both herself and whatever it was flying backward.

Fluttershy landed heavily on her stomach, but was otherwise unharmed, save for some dizziness. Her head rolled to the side a bit as she tried to stand up. She stumbled a bit, but managed to get her hooves under her properly, before she shook away the dizziness.

Feeling just a little miffed, and just the slightest bit grateful, towards whomever had stopped her journey into the Everfree, she turned around, preparing herself to either, politely scold and/or thank her assailant, only to pause at the familiar face.

Her friend, who was currently laying on her back, groaning, suddenly perked up. She had to strain her neck to spot Fluttershy, but when she did, she scrambled back onto her hooves, and practically jumped at her, her eyes wide and panicked. The twigs and leaved suck in her mane certainly didn't help her friend's case, especially since she was talking too quickly for Fluttershy to understand.

"Fluttershy, you have to-! Emerald he-! There was a-! We were getting chased, and-!"

"Shh! Shhh!" she shushed her urgently. She didn't think it would do much, but it did get Twilight to stop talking, "Okay, okay... take a deep breath," she instructed, remembering the instructions her old therapist used to give her, "Okay... hold it... now let it out... good," Twilight's breathing had slowed down, and she definitely looked calmer than before, "Okay. What's wrong?"

Her little exercise might have calmed her down, but the question immediately brought her panic back, and Fluttershy found herself being gripped tightly in her friend's magic.

Fluttershy's reaction, Twilight found, was... about as bad as she had expected it to be.

At first, her only response was to blink owlishly at her. It was a lot to process, especially given how much trouble the Crusaders had to have gotten into by now.

"What?" she asked, "How?" she added. Although it wasn't her intention, the question caused Twilight to wince, feeling a small pit pf guilt build up in her gut,

"He sacrificed himself so I could get away," she admitted, looking away from her friend. Fluttershy just blinked at her for a moment longer, before her face hardened.

The suddenness of the action took Twilight by surprise. Her normally soft features suddenly sharpened, her eyes narrowed slightly, and, unless Twilight was seeing things, a small pair of fangs seemed to just poke out from her upper lip.

The stark contrast between the Fluttershy she was used to and the one in front of her threw her for a loop. In addition, she was hit with a sudden realization of just how much Emerald and Fluttershy looked alike.

"Then we can't waste any time," she stated, already walking back towards the forest, leaving a stunned Twilight behind.

"W-wait!" she called, jogging to catch up to her suddenly confident friend, disappearing into the Everfree right after her.

Twilight managed to catch up to Fluttershy, who was too busy pushing through the foliage to pay much attention to her companion, further stunning the bookworm.

The last time she and Fluttershy had gone on a "mission" of sorts was to face that dragon who'd been smoking up Ponyville, and, though she was loathe to admit it, Fluttershy had been a heavy burden for the group to carry at the time. She had been slow, easily frightened, and had nearly gotten them crushed underneath an avalanche, all because she was too scared to admit that she was afraid of dragons, as ironic as that sounded.

But now here she was. With Twilight being the scared one as they walked through the forest she had been attacked in, while Fluttershy was confidently leading them forward, not even the slightest trace of fear on her otherwise gentle features.

It was a sobering experience for the naive unicorn. Ever since she met Fluttershy, from the moment she had barely gotten her name to right now, she had always thought the mare couldn't work up a nerve in her entire body, and was, in short, unreliable most of the time. While, yes, she seemed confident when dealing with animals, which was the only reason she would ask her to accompany her on her trips to Zecora, at any other point in time she doubted she'd be able to trust the sweet pegasus. Not because she was untrustworthy, absolutely not! No, it was because she was just too kind and shy. She'd crack under pressure faster than Twilight could solve Hoofstein's Theory of Magical Divergence.

Fluttershy would get flustered, panic, and ultimately screw up in some manner, so long as whatever she was doing did not involve animals in any way, shape, or form.

Twilight would admit, it took a lot of courage for her to stand up to that dragon, and in the name of her friend's safety no less, and while Twilight's respect for the pegasus had jumped up several notches, her expectations had not.

Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, even Pinkie, leading this exposition would not have surprised her. Applejack was just the sort of pony who'd help out if she felt it was the right thing to do. Rarity was rather fond of the green thestral, and Pinkie no doubt looked up to the fierce stallion, if the way she often talked about him to herself and the others was anything to go by. While Dash and Emerald didn't get along too well, she would never leave somepony to rot, especially after giving themselves up for one of her friends.

Which reminded her. Tell Rainbow Dash about this, then apologize for not involving her.

She guessed it just went to show how much her friends, and family, meant to the yellow pony if she was willing to do this.

"Elizabeak," Fluttershy spoke up, suddenly stopping, which caused Twilight to bump right into her, though it seemed she hadn't noticed. Twilight peered around the pegasus, finding that she was staring directly at a set of prints, vaguely resembling that of a chicken's.

Her mind, fuzzy from stress, recalled the hen she and Emerald had encountered earlier, before they had been found by the cockatrice.

.... Thoughts.... slow....

Hard.... to.... think....

"Come on," Fluttershy said, walking forward, leaving Twilight to catch up once again.

They followed the tracks farther into the forest, with Fluttershy's ears twitching every now and then, reminding Twilight that, once again, Fluttershy was apparently half-thestral.

She could only imagine, and shudder, at what sounds that Fluttershy might be privy to, sounds that lay beyond her own range of hearing.

They continued walking, veering off to the right somewhere along the way, before Fluttershy came to a stop just before a clearing.

Twilight, curious, and dreading, the cause of the stop, walked out from behind her friend, only to freeze at the sight that lay before her.

How... long...?

Help.... coming...?

Wide, draconic wings spread out wide, making the figure appear nearly twice its own size. With hooves spread out, its head slightly lowered, Twilight did not have a hard time imagining the threatening growl that had to have emitted from its throat.

Every individual strand of hair stood out amongst the sea of gray. Every single chord of powerful muscle lay just behind the skin of stone. A broad, wide torso, where a beating heart had laid not an hour ago, was still, no sign of breathing, as if to deny the fact that it had once been alive.

Even in stone, Twilight could practically feel the fire in his eyes, burning just as bright, despite looking dead.

A soft glint of light caught her attention, forcing her to rip her eyes away from the bone-chilling sight. She searched the forest floor for a moment, when it caught her eye once more.

Her horn lit up, the sound and light catching Fluttershy's attention. They both watched as a soft lavender glow lit up a small, circular object as it floated over to them. The glow around the object died once it was close enough, and Twilight gently caught it.

Emerald's bracelet lay clutched in her shaking hoof. Twilight took a shuddering breath, holding the golden metal close to her chest. That pit of guilt burned colder for an instant.

A soft hoof on her shoulder snapped her to attention, and her head nearly tore off her shoulder from how quickly she whipped her head to face Fluttershy, whose face held a soft, but sad, smile.

... Anyone...?

... Spar... ky....?

Fluttershy's ears perked up suddenly, and she stiffened, her eyes going wide with fear.

The sudden change startled Twilight, and she felt her own heart rate increasing.

Without a single word of warning, Fluttershy darted away from the clearing, towards the entrance of the forest. Twilight, both afraid and confused, followed after her immediately, absentmindedly slipping Emerald's bracelet onto her own hoof in the process.

"Umm... are you guys sure we should be here?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking around timidly, "I mean... I don't think Fluttershy or our sisters would want us here," she reasoned. Beside her, Wisp shook her head.

Fluttershy was an adult, albeit a shy and non-confrontational one. What made her think that she, a filly only a few months to a year older than the ones she was tasked to watch, would be any more effective at controlling them than she had?

She had some success, sure, but that had gone completely out the proverbial window when Scootaloo looked out the literal window, and spotted the same tracks that she had not ten minutes before.

She and Applebloom had immediately spotted an opportunity to find their cutie marks, ignoring Wisp's comment on how stupid the idea was, and had proceeded to stronghoof Sweetie into going along.

Wisp had tried to stop them. Oh how she had tried! She had told them how dumb the idea was, how they were likely to get killed or eaten out in the forest. Hay, she had gone so far as to threaten to tell their sisters/parents about the whole thing, even if her insistence of the fact was rather weak.

But no. Nothing she did had gotten them to even reconsider going into the forest!

Well, that wasn't true. She had managed to convince Sweetie Belle that it was a bad idea, though she was beginning to believe that her fellow unicorn had already thought that.

Either way, with the two of them going, Sweetie had little choice but to follow along. And, as the one in charge, as well as the one with more experience dealing with deadly situations, Wisp had come as well.

Of course, she wasn't stupid. She knew from the stories told by Miss Cheerilee, who had expressively forbidden the entire class from going into the forest, that the Everfree was dangerous. Couple that with experience from the Facility, and her own brother's paranoia, and Wisp was prepared, as well as she could be at this age, to defend herself and the others from the smaller dangers in the forest.

The knife and first aid kit she had swiped from Cousin Shy's kitchen and bathroom didn't hurt her chances either.

The answer was rather obvious. He was getting ready for work, of course. He was probably already out and about, setting up the dome as they walked, waiting until he was certain everybody was asleep.

"So... uh... how're we supposed to catch a chicken?" Scootaloo asked, slowing down as she thought,

"Well, I guess we can jus' call it," Applebloom suggested, turning to face the three of them,

"Are you kidding?" Scootaloo asked, before shaking her head, "Whatever. Let's just find that stinking chicken already and head back," she said, looking around nervously.

"What's the matter, Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked, a mischievous grinning forming on her face, "Are ya... chicken?"

"I'm not chicken!" Scootaloo defended hotly, whirling to face her sudden tormentor,

"Suuuurrrrre yer not!" Applebloom agreed sarcastically, before brightening, "Ooh! I know how ta call a chicken!" she said, before taking a deep breath and yelling, "SCOOTALOO! SCOOTALOO!"

Applebloom just grinned at the orange pegasus' fury, and took another breath, ready to yell once again-

Only for Cousin Shy to suddenly come running through the bushes, followed by a tired looking Miss Light not too long after.

"Fluttershy?" Applebloom asked, her teasing forgotten for the moment, "Whatcha doin' here?"

"That doesn't matter," she answered quickly, setting Wisp on edge. That was the same tone Emerald used whenever they were in danger, "We need to get you four out of the forest, now!"

"What?" Scootaloo asked, "But we haven't even found the chicken yet!" she argued. Fluttershy shook her head,

"There's no time!" she said, glancing back in the direction she and Miss Light had come from, "There's a cockatrice on the loose, and it's already got Emerald, so-"

There's no way a cockatrice could got the drop on him like that! He was way too observant for anything to surprise him! And a cockatrice definitely couldn't've beaten him in a fight, he was too strong!

"A cockatrice," Cousin Shy corrected her, "It's a creature with the head of a chicken and the body of a snake- we need to go!" she implored, but the Crusaders ignored her and walked off,

"Head of a chicken and the body of a snake?" Applebloom asked, smirking, "That doesn't sound scary at all!"

"Girls!" Miss Light suddenly yelled, having caught her breath, startling the three into stopping, "This isn't something to laugh about!" she scolded, "Cockatrice's can turn ponies into stone by looking them in the eye, it's dangerous!" she said.

Her words had actually gotten the Crusaders to pause, and even look around in worry. However that only led to-

"Look! It's the chicken!" Applebloom shouted, pointing at a nearby bush, where a lone chicken head had popped out from the leaves, looking around curiously. Suddenly, a second head popped out from a nearby bush,

Did.... did... DID THEY JUST FORGET THAT COCKATRICE'S HAVE THE HEAD OF A CHICKEN?! ONE OF THEM IS OBVIOUSLY THE COCKATRICE!!

"Well, c'mon, let's just get 'em both!" Applebloom commanded, just as the three of them launched themselves at the first head, startling the chicken into jumping out of the bush, landing near the other one.

The cockatrice, who had been watching the proceedings with disinterest, suddenly perked up, and all but jumped out of the bush, landing heavily on the ground in front of its semi-look-a-like.

Malevolent red eyes burned into the coal black one's of its adversary, and, in a set of ten seconds that stretched for much longer than they should have, the chicken was turned to stone.

The Crusaders, as well as Wisp, watched on in horror as the chicken, once full of life, suddenly fell to its side, stiff as, well, stone, and completely lifeless.

Their shrill cry was enough to stun the cockatrice long enough for them to bolt away, with Wisp, Cousin Shy, and Miss Light not to far behind them.

Unfortunately, they all ended up running in the direction that Cousin Shy and Miss Light had appeared from, and, in their blind panic, the three fillies ended up running face first into, what felt like, a solid rock wall.

The three of them shook away the daze from their skulls, and looked up at whatever they had run into, only to come face to face with the stony expression of Emerald's statue.

... Screaming...?

.... Danger.... near...?

What's.... happening....?

....... The..... Crusaders....?

... Wisp...?

The loud yell caused the three fillies to halt their panicked running. Cousin Shy's tone had hardened once more, the sound so uncharacteristic that the Crusaders couldn't bring themselves to not pay attention,

"Calm down," she ordered, her hardened tone leaving no room for argument, "We need to get out of here, quickly!" she said, glancing back towards the bushes they'd entered from. Wisp stiffened from her place beside Miss Light, staring past Miss Light's anxious form,

"U-umm.... i-it's a little late for that..." she squeaked, pointing towards the area behind them, before quickly averting her eyes, Miss Light's warning coming back to mind.

The two older ponies whirled around to face the direction that Wisp had specified, before they too, were forced to look away.

The cockatrice gave a low hiss as it stalked towards them, its evil red eyes glaring hungrily at the group of six before it.

Wisp and Miss Light backed up frantically, though the older mare ended up tripping over Applebloom since neither were paying attention.

Fluttershy looked back between the approaching cockatrice and the others, who had begun to huddle around Emerald's statue, as if hoping it could protect them from their inevitable demise.

Her throat felt warm, for some reason, but it cooled down once she began marching towards the snake-chicken.

"How dare you!" she snapped, all remnants of fear driven from her mind. She glared straight into the eyes of the cockatrice before her, mentally beginning a countdown, as she could already feel the mildly uncomfortable sensation of stone creeping up her legs, "Who do you think you are?! Turning others into stone, you should be ashamed of yourself!" she scolded, desperately hoping she could convince the monster to let them go, she could feel the stone encroaching upon her wings after all, "I have half a mind to find your mother and tell her about what you've done!" the stone was nearing her neck now, but the cockatrice didn't look like it was going to back down, though it was shaking, "And just what would she think, young ma-?!"

The cockatrice let out a victorious cry at having petrified yet another victim, though Twilight noted this one sounded a lot more triumphant than the other one, for some reason.

She let out a small squeak, however, once the cockatrice set its sights back on her and the fillies. She swallowed stiffly, but, with a quick application of magic, she pulled the girls directly behind her. She glanced over at Emerald's stoned form, bit her lip, but nodded.

"Okay... okay. Girls, listen to me," she began, sending them a frightened glance. Their attention focused on her immediately, "When the cockatrice starts petrifying me, run,"

... Cockatrice...

.... Fluttershy...? .... Stone....

It's... moving.... towards.... them...

Have to... help....

.... Move...?

Can't.... move...?

.... Stuck...?

.. Trapped...?

Stuck...! Trapped...! Bound...!

STUCK! BOUND! TRAPPED! CAGED!

CAN'TMOVECAN'TMOVELETMEGOIWANTOUTIWANTOUTIWANTOUT!!!!!

OUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I am," she said, making sure her voice was firm, though it wavered slightly. Thankfully the girls ignored it, "When I say run, you run. I'll buy you girls some time," she added, taking a step in front of the statue, her eyes firmly shut. The cockatrice let out a frustrated hiss at her defiance, but she heard it take a step forward.

A massive cloud of dust suddenly burst outwards from right next to her, followed instantly by a shower of debris. Twilight coughed a little, having accidentally inhaled some of the dust in surprise.

Her eyes stung slightly, but she pushed through the uncomfortable feeling and, using a quick wind spell, she swept the dust away, only for her eyes to go wide at the sight in front of her.

Emerald let a threatening growl escape from his throat, his livid, glowing blue eyes staring straight into the cruel, but frightened, red eyes of the cockatrice that had dared to attack his family, the stone spell of the creature rendered null from fear.

"Release her," he growled, letting a few embers of flame escape his maw, causing the cockatrice beneath him to squawk in fear, "Now," he ordered.

The faint sound of cracking stone coming from both behind and somewhere to the left of him signaled that the cockatrice did, in fact, have a sense of self-preservation. Emerald backed away from the fearful lizard, who took that opportunity to escape, promptly vanishing into the undergrowth.

Emerald stared in the direction the little bastard took off, before letting out a sigh and straightened himself out. A moment passed, before he turned to face his little audience.

He had to suppress a wince at the looks he was receiving from the group. A mixture of awe, wonder, and total shock was what he'd been met with, most of the two former from the fillies, with the latter mainly from Sparky.

Not that he could blame her. Petrification was a notoriously difficult thing to cure/escape from. Curing it, while difficult, was a lot more common than someone escaping from the stony prison. The number of creatures that had been recorded breaking free on their own didn't reach double digits.

He pushed aside whatever awkward feeling he could feel bubbling in his chest, and gave them a simple grin instead,

After a small reunion between himself and the others, mostly Sparky, the six of them, seven if you included the chicken, returned to Fluttershy's cottage, where his cousin was nice enough to brew them all some tea.

Thankfully, the trip was nowhere near as exciting as the several before it, and they arrived without issue.

He sighed, but smiled when he spotted Wisp's smug expression. Honestly, the look on her face just screamed, 'Yep. I have the best big brother ever!', and it didn't look like she'd be letting it go anytime soon, especially now that the danger was gone.

"What were you all doing in the Everfree anyways?" he asked, leaning onto the arm of the couch, watching in mild amusement as all four of the young fillies flinched. Sparky perked up as well from beside him, looking curious herself.

"Yeah, an' we thought maybe we could get our cutie marks if we tracked it down," Emerald blinked at the admission, before shaking his head,

"I shoulda known," he muttered, resting his head on his hoof, before glancing at Wisp, "But what's your excuse?" he asked. Wisp fidgeted slightly, glancing at the Crusaders from the corner of her eye more than once.

Her nervous twitching and eye movements practically told the story. She had, in some way, been stronghoofed into going along with the three of them, but, at the same time, she hadn't been resisting their efforts.

"What precautions did you take?" he asked. Sparky, Fluttershy, and the Crusaders all blinked at his strange question, with the elders idly wondering what he was talking about.

"Oh! Well, I left note behind on the door so that if somebody came by, they'd know where we were, and send help. I also brought along a knife to defend us, and a first aid kit in case somebody got hurt," she explained easily, "I even made sure that I was in the middle of the group so I could get to both the front, rear, and sides quickly," she added, smiling at him.

"Hmm... alright," he said, nodding, "You did good, Wisp," he complimented her. Her smile brightened, but Emerald wasn't done, "However, you still entered the forest without either my permission, or Cousin Shy's," he added, causing her grin to vanish, as well as her blue coat to turn white, especially upon seeing his wicked grin, "Since you're so eager to get into danger without permission or supervision... two hours. After school. Alternating magic training with Trix, then CQC lessons with me,"

"D-don't you think that's a bit harsh?" Fluttershy asked, staring at him in surprise. Emerald responded with a shrug,

"If Wisp wants to go out into dangerous territory, then it's my job as her older sibling to either stop her or make sure she's safe when I inevitably can't or won't," he said.

"Uh, what's CQC?" Applebloom asked, looking between the older ponies in confusion,

"Close-quarters combat," Sparky answered, staring at Emerald, eyes narrowed slightly, "Why would you teach...?" she muttered, but trailed off. Eventually she just sighed, "Nevermind," she muttered.

Emerald rolled his eyes at her, when the window caught his eye. It was dark out, with Luna's moon high in the air, shining brightly. He frowned,

"It's late," he stated, sliding out of his seat, "I'm gonna head home," he added, glancing at Wisp, "You wanna come, or stay here?" he asked.

Wisp stared at him for a moment, before her gaze trailed over to the Crusaders, then over to Fluttershy, before once more landing on him.

"Umm.... is it okay if I stay here for the rest of the night?" she asked, as if fearing his response. He nodded,

"Of course. I'll see you girls in the morning," he said, heading to the door. He heard Sparky stand as well,

"I should be heading out too. Tonight's been... an adventure. I'll be glad to put it behind me with a good night's rest," she said, muttering that last part to herself.

"Oh, alright," she said, smiling meekly, "It was nice having you over, even if it was because of that mean old cockatrice," she said, shuddering at the memory of her stony prison. Emerald nodded,

Emerald and Twilight were quiet as they walked back to town, the cool night air chilling them as they walked. Luna's moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the world below with a soft light.

On the inside, however, Twilight was nearly screaming, as well as crying, with relief.

Twilight spared him a sideways glance, watching as his ears twitched around, likely listening to the world around him. Once more, Twilight found herself wondering just what sounds he could hear that she was not privy to.

She shook her head. It didn't matter, not in the slightest, because he was alright.

Twilight grit her teeth at the thought. If only she had been a little faster, a little bit better, then this whole thing could've been avoided entirely.

The Ponyville Gym was certainly the best choice, only, she didn't know what to do!

She was a little ashamed to admit it, but, she had never truly done any hard labor, at least, not the physical variety.

Well, that wasn't true. She'd helped Applejack on the farm a few times, like during Applebuck season, and when the Flim Flam Brothers came to town, but aside from that she was woefully inexperienced in regards to working out.

She didn't need to be an athlete like Rainbow Dash, or even a strongpony like Applejack or Big Macintosh. She just needed to be a bit healthier, have more stamina and endurance, and a little extra speed and strength.

Speed training... it would probably be a good idea to see Rainbow Dash about that, and strength training with Applejack couldn't be ignored, but the rest?

She shook her head. She couldn't focus on that right now, not with Nightmare Night in a few days. Afterwards, definitely, but not now.

"You alright, Sparky?" Emerald's voice broke her from her thoughts. Twilight glanced over at him, finding the thestral with his attention on her. A glance around, however, revealed that they had stopped in front of the library, much to her surprise. She banished the thought, and nodded,

"I'm fine, just... thinking about earlier," she admitted, looking away guiltily.

She... she abandoned him when he needed her. She left him behind! She was a terrible friend! Awful, just awful!

A wing wrapping around her side cut her debilitating thoughts off, as well as washing away the coldness that had seeped into her being in one, single motion.

"You're... a good friend, Twilight," he said gently, "I'm... glad to have met you,"

"No!" she snapped, shaking her head rapidly, before deflating, even though a small blush spread across her cheeks, "About being glad to have met me?"

Emerald didn't answer right away. Instead he pulled her closer to him, his warmth washing over her, admittedly cold, body.

Had it not been so dark out, she might've mistaken it for day, if only because of how warm he was.

".... Yes, I meant it," he said finally, his words calming down the pony beside him, "You've... grown on me in my time here," he admitted, "All six of you have. Even Crash, in her own way. I... may not understand friendship the way you do, but, I can honestly say I consider you one of mine, Twilight Sparkle," he said, her name slipping from his lips in an awed tone, as if savouring the way it felt.

"You are... a wonderful pony. A little naive, a bit of a dunce when it comes to others' feelings, and, generally, a little obsessive," he remarked, each item causing the mare to flush harder, "but, yes. A wonderful pony indeed," he finished, looking at her fondly.

He bid the self-destructive mare goodnight, watching as she disappeared through the library door.

He didn't know what came over him earlier. Telling her he was glad to have met her... that had slipped out without him realizing it until it was too late.

Her asking him about it hadn't surprised him, the statement having been, admittedly, out of character. But even so, even now, he didn't regret saying it.

No, because of all that, he found that he genuinely enjoyed the mare's presence.

She had expressed worry regarding his physical condition. She confided her thoughts to him. She genuinely cared for her friends. Enjoyed learning new things. She... wanted to be around him. She honestly sought to learn more about him as well.

Even when he got dragged along on her little adventures, he honestly couldn't say he regretted being around her.

A strange, but not unpleasant, warmth began to permeate his chest, growing warmer the more his thoughts revolved around the lavender mare he'd spent the day with.

The Champion of Harmony

by Voxum

Fear Master